When is Britain's Got Talent back this year, and will both Ant and Dec return to present it? We do our best to answer these and other questions - like who the judges are, and how to watch from abroad

When is BGT back this year, and will both Ant and Dec return to present it?

X Factor is but a distant memory, which means Simon Cowell's other big show must be around the corner. That's right, Britain's Got Talent is on its way back to our screens for its thirteenth season - here's what you need to know.

When is Britain's Got Talent back on?

ITV hasn't announced a start date for series 13, but it's a safe bet that the show will arrive some time this spring. It traditionally kicks off in mid-April - in recent years it's started on the 9th, 15th, and 14th of the month - so we suspect that Saturday 13 April is a fairly safe bet for the first episode.

Are Ant & Dec presenting?

Yes! After Ant stepped back from a lot of his TV work last year - including I'm a Celebrity and last year's BGT live shows - following drink driving charges, he's now returning in full force this year. Both Ant and Dec have been at the filming for auditions this January, and will be taking part in the live shows later this year too.

Who are the judges?

As of yet ITV hasn't confirmed this year's judging lineup. But after the same four judges have appeared on the show for the last seven years - Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and David Walliams - we'd be pretty surprised if things changed for 2019.

Who are the contestants?

None of the contestants have yet been announced for 2019, so stay tuned.

How to watch Britain's Got Talent from outside the UK

As per usual, Britain's Got Talent will be available through regular UK broadcast TV (however you get your TV), airing on ITV. Since X Factor is on ITV 1 you can watch online with the ITV Hub on a wide range of devices including your phone.

If you want to watch from outside the UK then you'll need to use a VPN (virtual private network) like NordVPN so it appears your device is local if you want to watch along with the UK on ITV Hub. For more details see our best VPNs article, or our specific guide to watching ITV Hub from abroad.

How to apply

In-person auditions for this year's show have now finished, but you can still apply by video, post, or even WhatsApp. Head to the official audition website to find out how.